Rail fastener



Dec. 9, 1941. G. H. RoscoE 2,265,745

RAIL FASTENER Filed March 12, 1941 u 22 i BY 22 W/Bwudrmf ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 -Y UNITED sra'rssr'rnr orrlcs BAEL FASTENER GeorgeH. Roscoe, Aurora, ll.

Application March l2, 1941, Serial No. 382,888

8 Claims. (Cl. 23S-349) This invention relates to rail retainingdevices, and more particularly to ra-il fasteners of the spring cliptype. v

Various types of spring clip rail fasteners have been held in operativepositions on tie plates in several diierent ways heretofore. Many ofthem are slotted or perforated so that spikes or screws can be driventhrough them and the underlying tie plates and into lthe supportingties. This requires a spike or screw for each clip in addition to thoseused solely for fastening the tie plate to the tie. Another way ofholding such clips in place has been to provide the top of a tie platewithan upwardly projecting stirrup having a horizontal upper portion,and in so far as I am aware, to extend the arm of the spring clip thatengages the rail base flange through the stirrup in engagement with thelower surface of its horizontal upper portion. Consequently, theeffective length of the spring arm is measured from its point ofengagement with the stirrup to its point of engagement with the rail,and this length is rather short. As a result the spring arm is apt tosoon take a permanent set and thereby become substantially useless, orto be over-stressed and broken.

It is arnongthe objects of this invention to provide a rail retainingdevice utilizing a spring clip which has a lon T life, which does nottake a permanent set, which is adjustable, which does not wear againstthe retaining stirrup, which has a relatively long effective spring armfor engaging the rail, and with which there is no loosening of the clipdue to its flexing under the wave motion of the rail.

In accordance with this invention a rail fastener is formed from aresilient metal strip bent to provide an upper arm for engaging the topof a rail base flange on a tie plate, the arm extending across the topof an upwardly projecting stirup on the tie plate. The stirrup may beformed by a separate member attached to the tie plate or by upstrucklugs having horizontal upper portions. The fastener then curvesdownwardly and extends inwardly through the stirrup where it is soformed that it is compressed between vthe top of the tie plate and theupper portion of the stirrup. Preferably, the inwardly extending portionis provided with one or more notches for receiving a portion of thestirrup in order to hold the fastener in rail retaining position.

' The invention is Yillustrated in the accompanying drawing in whichFig.1 is aplan View of one form of my fastener in operative position-on atie plate; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line II-II of Fig.l; Fig. 3 is an end view and section of the tie plate and fastener takenon the line Ill-III of Fig. l; and Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections,similar to Fig. 2, of two modifications-of this invention.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, a tie plate I is mounted on a wooden tie2 in the usual manner by means of screws or spikes 3. Extendingtransversely of the upper surface of the tie plate is a pair of spacedparallel shoulders 4 that denne a seat between them for a rail 5. Spacedoutwardly from each shoulder is an upwardly projecting stirrup formed bystriking up a pair of lugs 6 from the plate and bending their upper endstoward each other to form horizontal portions or cross pieces. Thepurpose of these stirrups is to hold in operative position a pair ofspring clips l that fasten the rail to the tie plate as will now bedescribed.

Each clip is formed from a resilient metal strip bent into the shapeshown in-Fig. 2. Thus, the clip is provided with a laterally extendingupper arm H having an upturned inner end that bears down against the topof the adjacent rail base flange. From its inner end the upper arm ofthe clip extends outwardly across the top of the adjacent stirrup fromwhich it is spaced. At a suitable distance beyond the stirrup `the clipcurves downwardly into contact with the tie plate and then extendsinwardly through the stirrup. This inwardly extending portion l2 is inthe form of a reverse bend the lower portion of which bears at againstthe tie plate and the upper or free end portion projecting outwardlyabove its lower portion and thereby extending back through the stirrup.This reverse bend `is made wider than the height of the stirrup openingso that the reversely bent lower portion i 2 of the clip must engage thetop portion of the stirrup and be compressed between it and the top ofthe tie plate. Consequently, the lower portion of the spring clip isheld tightly within the stirrup and the clip as a whole thus maintainedin operative position.

To prevent the clip from working out of the stirrup the lower free endportion is crimped to provide on top a series of notches I3 any one ofwhich is adapted to receive a projection of the stirrup. This projectionis preferably formed by charnfering the lower surface of the stirrupsupper portion so that an edge is formed that can project into theunderlying notch in the clip.y The pressure of the clip upon the railcan be Varied l and any possible wear can be compensated for by drivingthe clip farther into the stirrup from l the position shown in Fig. 2.Thepressure of any particular clip on the rail base also depends uponthe distance of the stirrupfrom the rail and the height of the stirrupopening.

A rail fastener constructed in accordance with l this invention not onlyholds the rail down on l the tie plate, but it also serves' as a checkagainst creeping of the rail in either direction. The fastener is in onepiece and does not require addil tional separate members for holding itin position. The effective length of the spring arm is relatively greatbecause it extends from the point clip disappears where the upper springarm en- 1 gages the tie plate, so there is no relative Inotion betweenthe lower portion of the .clip and l the tie plate and stirrup which itengages. Therel of engagement between clip and rail to the point ofengagement between clip and tie plate without v interference from thestirrup. This means that flexing of the clip under the wave motion ofthe l rail will not break or give a permanent set to the clip becausethe bending stresses will be absorbed over such a long spring arm. Thisflexing of the l fore, there is no wear at thosepoints of engageagainstthe stirrup and tie plate remains the same regardless of the flexing ofthe upper spring arm.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the lower l portion of the clipyextending through the stirrup is provided with a reverse bend I6 thefree end portion of which engages the tie plate instead of the topIportion of the stirrup. The retaining notches I1 in the clipraretherefore formed in the portion of the reverse bend opposite to the freeend portion.

Yment and there is no tendency for the clip to 1 work loose inthe'stirrup, because its pressure In the embodiment of Fig. 5 the tieplate stirl rup 2| is much lower than in the preceding embodiment, andthe inwardly projecting lower porl tion 22 of the fastener does not havea reverse bend. Instead, it is merely arched longitudinally Y a slightamountv so that it will bear against the tie plate on opposite sides ofthe stirrup with its central portion pressing against the lower portionof the stirrups cross piece; As inthe other'embodiments of the inventionthe lower portion of the clip is'provided on top with notches 23 forreceiving a projecting edge of the stirup so that the clip will'not workout of position.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I'haveY explainedthe principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated anddescribed what I now considery to represent its best embodiments.However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of theappended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically illustrated and` 2. A rail fastener for use with a tieplate having an upwardly projecting stirrup at one side of its railseat, said fastener consisting of a resilient metal strip formed to bearat its upper end on top of a rail base flange on said seat and to extendoutwardly over the stirrup and then downwardly and inwardly entirelythrough the stirrup for engagement with the tie plate at both sides ofthe stirrup and for compression between the top portion of the stirrupand the tie plate, said inwardly extending portion being provided on topwith a notch for receiving some of the top portion of the stirrup tohold the fastener in rail retaining position.

3. A rail fastener for use with a tie plate having an upwardlyprojecting stirrup at one side of its rail seat, said fastenerconsisting of a resilientmetal strip formed to bear at its upper end ontop of a rail base ange on said seaty and to extend outwardly over thestirrup and then downwardly and inwardly entirely through the stirrupfor engagement; with the tie plate at both sides of the stirrup and forcompression between the top portion of the stirrup and the tier plate,said inwardly extending portion being crimped to form on top a series ofnotches any one of which is adapted to receive some of the top portionof the stirrup to hold the fastener in rail retaining position.

4. A rail fastener for use with a tie plate having an upwardlyprojecting stirrup at one side of its rail seat, said fastenerconsisting of a resilient metal strip formed to bear at its upper end ontop of a rail base flange on said seat and to extend outwardly over thestirrup and then downwardly and inwardly entirely `through the stirrupfor engagement with the tie plate at both sides of the stirrup, saidinwardly extending portion being arched longitudinally for bearingagainst both the top. portion of the stirrup and the tie plate.

5. A rail fastener for use with a tie plate having an upwardlyprojecting stirrup at one side of its rail seat, said fastenerconsisting of a resilient metal strip formed to bear at itsY upper endon top of a rail base flange on said seat and to extend outwardly overthe stirrup and then downwardly and inwardly through the stirrup, saidinwardly extending portion being provided with a reverse bend adapted tobe compressed between the top portion of the stirrup and the tie plate.

6. A rail fastener for use with 'a tie plate having an upwardlyprojecting stirrup at one side of its rail seat, said fastenerconsisting of a resilient metal strip formed to bear ati-ts upper end ontop of a rail base flange on said seat and to extend outwardly overfthestirrup and then downwardly and inwardly through the stirrup forcompression between the top portion of the stirrup and the tie plate,said inwardly extending portion being provided with a reverse bend Vthefree end portion of which is adapted to bear against the top of the tieplate and the opposite portion of which is adapted to lbearagainst thetopV portion of the stirrup. j

'7'. A rail fastener for use with a tie plate having an upwardlyprojecting stirrup at one side of` its rail seat, said fastenerconsisting of a resilientmetal strip formed to bear at its upper end ontop of a rail basev flange on said seat and to extend ,outwardly over:the stirrup and then downwardly and inwardly through the stirrup forcompression between the top portion of the stirrup and the tie plate,said inwardly extending portion vbeing provided with a reverse bend thefree end portion of which is adapted to bear against the top portion ofthe stirrup and the opposite portion of which is adapted to bear againstthe top of the tie plate.

8. A rail retaining device comprising a tie plate provided with a railseat, an upwardly projecting stirrup connected to said tie plate andspaced from one side of said seat, and a fastener clip consisting of aresilient metal strip formed for bearing at its upper end on top of arail base flange mounted on said seat and for extending outwardly overthe stirrup and then downwardly and inwardly entirely through thestirrup where it engages the tie plate at both sides of the stirrup andis compressed between the top portion of the stirrup and the tie plate,the lower surface of said stirrup top portion being chamfered to form anedge extending transversely of the fastener, and said inwardly extendingportion of the fastener being provided in its top with a notch forreceiving lsaid stirrup edge to hold the 10 fastener in the stirrup inrail retaining position.

GEORGE H. ROSCOE.

